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Water makes up about 60% of the body’s weight.
It is such an integral part of us that people rarely are conscious of its importance, unless they are deprived of it. You can survive a deficiency of any of the other nutrients for a long time, in some cases even for months or years, but you can survive only a few days without water. Since the body must excrete at least a pint of water a day to cleanse its fluids, a person must consume at least a pint each day to avoid life-threatening losses, that is, to maintain water balance.
The total amount of fluid in the body is kept constant by delicate balancing mechanisms. Imbalances can occur, such as dehydration and water intoxication, but the balances are restored to normal as promptly as the body can manage it. Both intake and excretion are controlled to maintain water balance.
After bariatric surgery, it is very important to stay well hydrated. Since you can not take big gulps, you should carry a bottle around at all times and take little sips throughout the day. The first 2 weeks following surgery, you should be constantly sipping on something all day. Beverages should either be water or sugar-free non-carbonated beverages.
Initially water may need to be at room temperature, since temperature extremes may cause muscle spasms, leading to discomfort. It is also common for water to not taste good. Some people can drink water at any temperature. Some can drink all other beverages cold except water. Some cannot drink water, even at room temperature. Some people are not interested in drinking any liquids and it is very difficult to get just a little bit in. While others, can’t seem to get enough to drink and complain of always being thirsty and unable to drink fast enough.
Regardless of whether you feel like drinking or not, it is important to try to drink as much as you can. Dehydration is a common problem following bariatric surgery that at times may require hospitalization. You can help prevent this, by making a conscious effort daily, to try to drink as much as you can. Stay away from beverages containing caffeine since they have a diuretic affect.
The weight of the body’s water varies by pounds at a time, especially in women who retain water at the menses. Anyone who eats a meal high in salt can temporarily increase the body’s water content, which the body sheds over the next day or so as the sodium is excreted. These temporary fluctuations in body water also cause changes in body weight on the scales. People who gain or lose water weight may believe the change reflects a change in body fat, but fat weight takes days or weeks to change noticeably, while water weight can change overnight.
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How Much Water Should You Drink Daily?
Thirst and satiety govern water intake. When the blood is too concentrated (having lost water but not salt and other dissolved substances), the molecules and particles in the blood attract water out of the salivary glands. The mouth becomes dry as a result, and you drink to wet your mouth. The brain center known as hypothalamus also monitors the concentration of the blood. When the blood is too concentrated, or when the blood volume or pressure is too low, the hypothalamus initiates impulses that stimulate drinking behavior.
A first sign of dehydration is thirst, the signal that the body has lost up to 2 cups of its total fluid. Rather than waiting until sets in, people should drink regularly throughout the day. But say a person is unable to obtain fluid or fails to perceive the thirst message. With a loss of just 5% of body fluid, perceptible but general symptoms appear: headache, fatigue, confusion and forgetfulness, and an elevated heart rate. Instead of “wasting” any of its precious water in sweat, the dehydrated body diverts most of its water into the blood vessels to maintain the life-supporting blood pressure. Meanwhile, body heat builds up because sweating has ceased, creating the possibility of serious consequences.
Water needs vary greatly depending on the foods a person eats, the environmental temperature and humidity, the person’s activity level, and other factors. The committee on Recommended Dietary Allowances recommends that under normal dietary and environmental conditions adults need between 1 and 1 ½ milliliters of water from all sources for each calorie spent in the day. For the person who expends about 2000 calories a day, this works out to a fluid intake of about 2-3 liters (about 7 –11 cups). Sweating increases water needs.
The general fluid recommendation following bariatric surgery seems to be a minimum of 48 ounces and an ideal of 64 ounces daily. Keep in mind that you are not expected to drink this much the first few weeks following surgery. Typical intake the first week post-op is 12-18 ounces of liquid (not including protein shakes). By the second week post-op, you should be consuming 24-32 ounces of liquid (not including protein shakes). Keep on increasing you fluid intake until you are drinking 64 ounces of liquid daily. |
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| Benefits of Drinking Water |
1- Carries nutrients throughout the body. |
2Cleanses the blood wastes.- |
3-Serves as the solvent for minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose, and other small molecules.
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| 4-Actively participates in many chemical reactions. |
| 5-Acts as a lubricant around joints. |
| 6-Serves as a shock absorber inside the eyes, spinal cord, and joints. |
| 7-Aids in maintaining the body’s temperature. |
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Factors That Increase Water Needs
-Very young or very old age.
- Diseases that disturb water balance, such as diabetes.
-Prolonged vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.
- Forced air environments, such as airplanes or sealed buildings.
-Heated environments.
- Medications (diuretics).
-Hot weather.
-Alcohol or caffeine consumption.
-Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
-Exercise.
-Surgery, loss of blood or burns.
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Signs of Mild Dehydration |
Signs of Severe Dehydration |
Thirst |
Pale skin |
Sudden weight loss |
Bluish lips and fingertips |
Rough dry skin |
Confusion / Disorientation
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Dry mouth, throat, & internal body linings |
Rapid shallow breathing |
Rapid heart rate |
Weak, rapid, irregular pulse |
Low blood pressure. |
Thickening of blood |
Lack of energy / Weakness |
Shock |
Highly concentrated urine, but low in volume |
Seizures |
Impaired kidney function |
Coma or Death |
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Water Terms That May Appear on Labels
1)-Artesian water – water drawn from a well that taps a confined aquifer in which the water is under pressure.
2)-Carbonated water – water that contains carbon dioxide gas, either naturally occurring or added, that bubbles from it; also called bubbling or sparkling water, soda, or tonic waters are legally soft drinks and are not regulated as water.
3)-Distilled water – water that has been vaporized and re-condensed, leaving it free of dissolved minerals.
4)-Filtered water – water treated by filtration, usually through activated carbon filters that reduce the lead in tap water, or by reverse osmosis units that force pressurized water across a membrane removing lead, arsenic and some microorganisms from tap water.
5)-Mineral water – water from a spring or well that typically contains 250 to 500 parts per million (ppm) of minerals. Minerals give water a distinctive flavor. Many mineral waters are high in sodium.
6)-Natural water – water obtained from a spring or well that is certified to be safe and sanitary. The mineral content may not be changed, but the water may be treated in other ways such as by filtration or ozonization.
7)-Public water – water from a municipal or county water system that has been treated and disinfected.
8)-Purified water – water that has been treated by distillation or other physical or chemical processes that remove dissolved solids. Because purified water contains no minerals or contaminants, it is useful for medical and research purposes.
9)-Spring water – water originating from an underground spring or well. It may be bubbly (carbonated) or “flat” or “still,” meaning not carbonated. Brand names such as “Spring Pure” do not necessarily mean that the water comes from a spring.
10)-Well water – water drawn from ground water by tapping into a aquifer.
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